The stock market closes on weekends, meaning that trades are not executed until the next trading day. But, investors can still buy and sell stocks over the weekend through electronic communication networks (ECN). A market holiday is any day other than a weekend when the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, or bond markets close. The stock market is open the Friday before Memorial Day, but bond markets close at 2 p.m.
On the Day Get market updates, educational videos, webinars and stock analysis. For a transaction to take place, a seller's offer to sell shares must be satisfied with the buyer's demand to buy shares. If traders want to trade stocks before the market opens or closes, they must do so during the sessions before or after trading, through ECN. The stock market also closes most federal holidays, further limiting trading opportunities for investors.
However, with modern trading platforms, retail investors can place orders to buy and sell shares over the weekend.